The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-09-11
LATEST NEWS FROM EUROPE.

LATEST NEWS FROM EUROPE.
0LIDsTOSE nKsOU6HT TO ACCEPT THE
MITCRELsTOWN CHALLENGE
-
vyan DO &c - Hrslsna. Fat himself AZ the
Head Of The Peoples Cause, and Defy the
1svsruness - Teach Hin Tho Wsrn
or Poverty. ~ Ht VIRTUES In Trafalgar
Square. Waitins 70 Turn-A Pretty spsci-
.nen u . pentlemeh or Her Msjesty's
Assy~-A Royal Fanaiiy Jar-Gessip.
osprssAs 1887. ey raa sur Htnttne ana Ftss'tshins
AsssotassoA
LONDON, Sept. 10.-Eight thousand Irish
men, women and children crowded to meet
ing In public square In Mitchellstown. county
Cork. yesterday afternoon. to provo. rs John
Dillon said. how they loved William OrBrien in
their hearts and to show to the world what
efYcct the enforcement Of coercion 10 likely to
have Tho meeting came peacefully together.
bodies Of farmers, with their wives and fami-
lies. marching In from tho country in regular
procession. In many instances headed BY their
priests and with music playing. Members Of
Parliament. both English and Irish. wore down
from London to speak In condemnation
OF the Governments attempt to convict
.O'Brien for encouraging his countrymen to
stand up for their rights and to sustain him In
his refusal to obey tho summons Of the Court.
The crowd was packed densely around wagon
cites on which speakers stood. and the meet
ing promised to be peaceful but with that the
police were not satisfied. They know that to
interfere with Irish liberties Ii to gain favor
with the Government which originated tho
Coercion bill. and, acting upon that idea. they
determined that the meeting Of protest should
not be held unopposed. The Government
shorthand reporter. paid, 80 the Irishmon
o. hkatr
ers. announced his intention OF hearing
what Dillon had to say. A body Of policemen
surrounded him and sought to rush and club
their way through the thronG. The men in the
crowd resisted, as any men but arrantcowards
would have done. The peasants blackthorns
proved TO be too much for the policemen's
clubs, and the police were driven back They
returned reinforced and charged with bstons
and rifles. Heads were broken all over the
square and hand.to-hand fighting Of the stub
bornest kind took place. The crowd was
brutally beaten, but policemen were knocked
about as we'll, being hammered in moro than
one instance with their muskets, snatcbed from
them BY brawny land leaguers.
Thus far. although originally In tho wrong,
the police were acting at least without display
Of oowsrdics and fought Is the crowd fought
them. The shame and disgrace Of the day
came after the second triumph Of the black
thorns, whom the constabulsry were beaten
back to their barracks at the lower end Of the
square. There were gathered q crowd Of men
and women who had taken NO part in the fray,
but who were dubbed In . most cowardly
fashion by the Inundated and retreating po-
licemen. Nor was that the worst. for when
oncs safely intrenched behind their barracks
walls the policemen fred into tho helpless
crowd through the door by which they had en-
tered. and, mounting to upper windows, con-
dnusd their murdsrous fusillade upon help
less men and women below. A gray-haired old
man. staggering from the effects OF q blow on
the skull from the constable's rife. was
dropped dead with q bullet through the brain.
A second victim shot down Immediately after
ward is dead and others arc wounded.
Tho above is 2 summarized and impartial
account Of yesterdays murders. There can
bs no attempt Ut justiffcationo the ground Of
seli-defence. The murders wero committed BY
the police. not tn offending themselves against
the blackthorns of the irritated peasantry, not
i'd the heat Of hSntinR. but when safely out Of
danger behind the walls OF their barracks. The
nnurderers were animated by cowardice and re-
venge. Not the faintest excuse'can be made
for them, nor can the Government defend the
aotion Of it's servants by declaring that the
murdered men met their fate while in the act
OF breaking the law. There was no law broken
except by the agents Of the lawmakers. The
meeting had not been proclaimed. 1t was a
perfectly legal pne. even under the sweeping
msof the Coercion act. and every man at
tho meeting had legal right to be there. and
smoral right to resent. to the best Of his abil-
tty and with all the energy Of his blaokthorn.
tho clubbing. by the police.
Any lengthy comment on the affair would be
re- hat khA vuhf TIA hafr all I,vfv
dead in the street. with his brains scattered on
the pavement, will form the text Of many
fierce attack on the Government. and one from
which political sermons predicting Tory down.
tall may trhthfully be preached. On Monday
an explanation will be demanded of the Gov
ernment by Ireand's friends In tho Commons.
headed By Harcourt and possibly the Grand
Old Man himself although no had not ex-
bectsd to be In London on that day. The only
hope OF the Government lies In the fact that
% far ss can be ascertained the shooting was
not done upon the order 81 any officer. but was
the result Of individual malice and cowardice.
This will enable the Government to plead
hasty action on the part Of subordinates.
Fortunately. Labouohere and other strong
members Of Parliament were there. and these
VIII give good evidence on behalf Of Ireland.
Already. this morning the Tines. realizing the
~SsSSAoso piOuACoAh0hS VI tu0 4oNokhmohGt
makes q shameless attempt to put tho men
who were murdered In the wrong.
The bloody work indeed requires the instant
attention Of oil those champions who have the
cause OF ireland so much ut heart. Ilearn
that steps have already boon taken to induce
MI. Gladstone to visit Ireland and call q vast
meeting. before which no should denounce the
murderers work, this reckless Government.
ana call upon them to interfere with him II
they dared. It would DO o great and
glorious thing to do. an act which would make
the name Of Gladstone rovered In Ireland for
ages to como. The Grand Old Man. In the Inn
pulsiveness Of his nature, IL inclined to do 1t,
and though some Of his lieutenants seek to re-
strain him others urge him on. Knowing that
this question was one which would interest
inshmen all over tho world this afternoon
telegraphed to the ex-Premier at Hawarden.
asking him whether. in view Of tho terrible
work going on in ireland. he would yield to
the solicitations made to him to visit tho coun-
ny and put himself at tho head Of the cause Of
freedom thnrn IN htn y,ply NJ QIadatona